(i) Field of the invention
The present invention relates to technology for displaying a statistical variable, for example, an intra-organizational statistical variable. More particularly, it is suited to display the statistical variable between two different types of entities within an organization. Incidentally, the “entities” are persons or groups which are the constituent elements of the organization.
(ii) Description of the Related Art
In order to visualize the communications between persons, there have heretofore been proposed a plurality of methods in each of which the persons are set as nodes, while relevant values are displayed as arcs. With such a structure, the individual relations between the persons are precisely represented, but it becomes difficult to grasp the whole tendency of the communications, as the number of the persons to be handled increases.
Besides, in analyzing an organization typified by a general enterprise, it becomes important to analyze the communications between managerial posts of different numbers of persons as in the administrative staff and the non-administrative staff, with note taken of the relations between divisions or the like groups. With the structure which employs the nodes and the arcs, it is difficult to visualize such communications on the whole.
On the other hand, ordinary three-dimensional graphs have the problem that a certain element is concealed behind another, or that an overlooking viewpoint (a birds eye viewpoint) must be searched for, namely, that the graphs are inferiorly looked through.
It has been desired to grasp a statistical variable, for example, a communicational amount in a large organization, on the whole while a display based on the three-dimensional graphs is employed.
Incidentally, techniques to be stated below have been known as proposals relevant to the present invention.
Patent Document 1 proposes a technique wherein individual persons or things are grouped on the basis of their attribute information items and are displayed within group nodes, and the information items of connectional relations are offered by the nodes and arcs with the individual persons or things prevented from being specified. With this technique, intra- and inter-group communications can be represented, but the statistical variable of communications or the likes cannot be overlooked on the whole for a large-scale organization.
Patent Document 2 proposes a technique wherein the features of the connectional relations between two sorts of groups to-be-handled are displayed using nodes and arcs, in a manner to be easily overlooked. With this technique, the relations between persons and things (information items) can be represented, but the comparisons of intra- and extra-group communications, or the likes cannot be made.
Patent Document 3 proposes a technique wherein the connectional relations of persons among three categories are displayed using nodes and arcs, in a manner to be easily understood. With this technique, the three categories can be compared, but intra- and extra-group comparisons cannot be made.
Patent Document 1: JP-A-2002-15095
Patent Document 2: JP-A-2002-24283
Patent Document 3: JP-A-2003-271659